View full sizeGustavo Jimenez of Pelham stands by his congratulatory sign at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Pelham after winning the chain's title of National Meat Cutter of the Year on May 5, 2013. (Martin J. Reed / mreed@al.com)

After earning third place the last two times he competed,
Jimenez proved at this year's Texas Roadhouse National Meat Cutting Challenge that
his skills with turning a chunk of beef into top-quality steaks is second to
none.

Jimenez won first place that included a $20,000 grand
prize and the title of Meat Cutter of the Year for the restaurant chain during
the May 5 competition in Maui, Hawaii. He earned a score of 231, compared to
second place's 225 and third place's 224.

"I couldn't even say," Jimenez said, when asked about his
reaction to discovering her won. "It was shocking. It was unbelievable."

Competitors each received 50 pounds of beef consisting of
two top-butts of sirloin that each weighed about 13 or 14 pounds as well as a
tenderloin that was about 7 pounds and a rib eye that was about 15 pounds.

Quality, yield, and speed were the deciding factors for
the competition, with scores based on who yields the most steaks with the
highest quality cut in the least amount of time.

Jimenez earned the top prize.

"This was the third time," he said, previously competing
in the contest in 2010 and 2012. "The last couple of times I made it to third
place, so this time ... I was more confident."

He has been a meat cutter at the Pelham restaurant located
off Interstate 65's Cahaba Valley Road exit for about seven years. His working
conditions on any given day typically involve cutting meat in a walk-in
refrigerator that stays around 36 degrees.

Many customers know the restaurant chain for serving
freshly cut steaks, which Jimenez carefully forms each working day at the
Pelham restaurant by expertly slicing the large chunks of beef.

At the competition, he knew one important aspect to winning. "Basically the
less waste is better for you," he said about ensuring the least amount of
discarded scraps.

Managing partner Brian Donegan at the Pelham location
also attended the restaurant chain's conference in Hawaii. "It's overwhelming
for me to even watch it," he said about the competition.

Roughly 1,500 people attended the contest, watching the
participants wield sharp blades as they sliced the fresh cuts of beef.

"I was the first person to jump up in front of everyone,"
Donegan said about seeing Jimenez win. "I just kind of blacked out for a
minute."

Donegan said the restaurant and its customers benefit
from Jimenez's accomplishment. "This is for him, this is for everyone," he
said.

"This is what it's about: the quality, the value," he
added. "You're actually getting a steak that was hand cut by somebody that has
a lot of passion for this."

The competition's initial stage started with more than
450 contestants. Jimenez consistently won the regional competitions, leading up
to the championship event that included seven finalists.

"So many times I have tried it," he said. "After seven
years I finally get the title of Meat Cutter of the Year."